Process of engraving.



H. L. REGKARD. PROCESS 0F ENGBAVING.

APrLIcATloH FILED 00T. s, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

a sums-'sum z.

H. L. RECKARD. Pnoorj'ss of 1;nlGENIE-Naf.`

OATLON FILED Patented June 21,1910. 1

- 3 SERIES-SHEET 3,

if rn sinv s PROCESS F ENG-RAVING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. RECKARD, a.. citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Engraving`of which the following is a full, clear, and` exact description.

My invention relates to a' process of engraving printing surfaces andhas for i object to produce a sim le, accurate, inexpensive and rapidmetho of en l avingsuch surfaces for either intaglio or re lef printing.It further has 4for lits object to provide, when necessary, suitablegrounds upon the engraved'surface.

The full process as described by me pro-- duces an engraved rollerhaving a'grounded intaglio printing. surface for printing the originaldesign. An intaglio .printing surface is the form which is required forthe.

printing of fabrics' such v-as cottons, silks,

' plushes, velvets, carpets,'wall-papers and the thinner kinds ofoilcloth known as table oilcloth. A modification thereof producessurfaces for relief printing.

The following is a description of a process involving my invention,reference being .had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l'illustrates an original drawing of the' design'to be engraved. Fig. l2isa photographic negative of the same somewhat reduced. Fig. 3 is. aphotographic positive of Fig. l correspondingly reduced. Fig. 4; is

a photoli-thograph made from the positive of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents aBen Day or simi lar lrn. Fig. 6 represents the Ben Day film beingapplied-to the lithograph. Fig. 7 represents'the photolithograph afterthe Ben Day lni has been applied thereto. Fig. 8-

represents a lay-out of transfers Fig. 9 represents a sheet of zinc orthe like to which the ink andthe transfers of Fig. 8 have been applied.Fig. 10 represents a sheet ofFig. 8 prepared to transfer the designthereon to a-.ro-ller so thatv the roller may be etched in such' manneras to print repeats of the design'of Fig. 1. Fig. 11 represents-amachine for printing the design ona roller.l

Referring more particularl to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a drawingof a design to be engraved, which for convenience is shown as a simpledesign which may be repeated so as to make a continuousfcomposite whole.This drawing-'has limit. marks T,. i .which define its limits.

l Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21 1910, Applicationlil October 5, 1909. Serial No. 521,144.

In carrying outJ my process the distance 'covered by one revolution ofthe roller'to be engraved when in the printing machine isy the desiredengraving thereof whichv is to be produced upon the surface to :'beengraved.

This permits of reduction in photographing for the 4purpose of producingsharp, clean-'results. Where a single color .is'to be printed, the'design should preferably' be. made' i-n black. From` the original des' aphotographic negative (Fig. 2) is ma e by means of. a' camera. From thenegativel a positive (Fig. 3) is made upon a photographic'plate. Thispositive must have its len th between its limit marks 'I exactly'A equato one of the number of equal parts into which the dis- 'tance coveredby one revolution of the rollen has been divided. Preferably I make. the

negative (Fig. 2) of the desired reducedy size and make. the positive(Fig. 3) of the same size as ,the negative (Fig. 2).

Wet plate photography is preferably used I opacity and transparency.

Having produced the positive photograph upon the photographic plate,which I shallhereafter term the graphic stone or suita le meta plate isprepared and given a sensitive coating and a because of the resultingstrong contrast of hotogra h, a lithophotolithograph Ais produced fromthe 'photograph in the usual manner. The stone or plate with thephotol-ithograph thereon I term the photolithograph and is shown in Fig.4. As is well known the'surfaces of this photolithograph which wereexposed to .the light take mk and print whilerthe surfaces whi'ch werenot exposed'will not take ink, and a transfer made from thephotolithograph will have the'fblack and white reversed frorn what theyare in the' photograph and the original sketch. I

In case the designissu'chthat vgrounds I willy have to he provided, Iroll ,the photoy i 1-0 soft roller C', as shown in Fig. 6.' The printingfilm is somewhat stiff and itsstilfness prevents the ridges ordotsthereon from touching the depressed surfaces of thephotolithographclose to the portions C where the ink is built upthereon. The large bare surr faces D therefore have printed thereonlines or dots correspondin to the projections 'on the Itlexible plate,as s own in Fig. 7 These .lines ordots do not .extend clear to the edgesof' the theretoforebare surfaces but stop short so as to leave clearlines E lbetween the ground and the built up ink.V The clear. v llinesthus Iformed are necessary, it havingl longbeen 'known that inintagliofprinting the grounds must not extend to the outlines of `thedesign since otherwise a. rough and unevenedge will be roduced. The Benv- ADay lm is preferab y applied to the pho; tolithograph since it isthen necessary to apply 1t to only one element of the design. It may,however, be applied at a later stage as hereafter explained." Of course,the photolithograph, when the printin film is applied is dried so. thatit will. ta e ink wherever contact. is made.

Having produced the photolithograph with .y the ground` lines thereon,an accurate laywout or development of the areacovered by 'the rollerinmaking one revolution is made 40 on a smooth stiii' card or metalplate faced with paper. This is divided into areas of exactly the sizeofthe photograph. A numl vber of lithographie transfers are then made fromthe photolithograph in the usual mannerv suilicient to v cover thelay-out.. The

transfers are then cut to size and stuck up inthe-usual way, vtheiredges abutting together as shown atF in Fig. 8. The limit marks may beextended asshown in dotted lines in Fi .7.`L I .f-ter the transfers havebeen stuck up, as shown in Fig. 8,1 mayroll the roller to be en avedover .the transfers thus Iarrange transferrinfrthe'ink ofthe transfersremoved, but L freasons to vtransfer 4the ink vof the transfers to athin sheet offzincG about 1/100 of-an'v inch r in thickness. This isdone in the usual transferred to the zinc sheet and the paper directlytothe roller where itwicll remain., after the pa er of the vtransfers hasbeen prefer for accuracy and other;

oeaoee ,projections applied to the zinc sheetso as to Aprintground linesthereon wherever grounds are necessary, in the manner described inconnection with the photo-lithograph. The zinc'sheet when the film isapplied is of course dried so that ink will be deposited wherevercontact is made.

Obviously if the surfaces are very small the steps relating to theproduction -o f grounds may be omitted altogether.

' After the zinc plate has thus been prepared, with or lwithout .thegrounds, it is etched. In doing this it isv first powdered with lineasphalt and dusted clean with cotton or With a brush (preferably withcotton) The plate is then warmed until the asphalt is melted into theink, fermier/l a hard, smooth acid resist. The'exposedand backv of thezinc plate are then coated with asphalt varnish, except a space H about1/ 16 of an inch wide at the beginning of the` design, as shown in 9.The plate is I then immersed in dilute nitric acid about sixteen partswater to one part nitric acid) until the exposed portions are eaten awayto a depth of about 2/1090 of an inch, so that it may be inked with anacid resisting ink applied with a smooth inking roller. Etching must-beof such depth that the inking vroller will deposit no ink in the depthsof the plate'. The 'surface of the plate is a type surface and not aplanographic surface. The design to be engraved upon the roller is inthe depths of the plate. After etching, the-acid resist and asphalt arewashed off the zinc plate with turpentine and one edge is cut oifuon aline with the remote edge or end of the design, as

shown at I at the bottom of Fig. 10.l The ios plate is then inked with astiff acid resisting ink and'placed on the smooth table ,I of a transfermachine as shown at Z (Fig. 11). This table has an edge ',K, with whichthe edge of the plate when in proper position Will exactly coincideandbrackets L, which engage the trunnionsL of the roller and support itjustas it leaves the zinc plate. The plate is laid upon the table solthatvits cut edge I coincides exactly'with the edge K of the table J andis securely clamped in that position vby clamps M. The roller N lto beengraved .is then supported above thetable. A vstrip of thin c'leanpaper O is placed on the zinc plate in a line parallel with the edge orbeginning of the design.

about 1/-16 ofl van inch raway from the-deink holds the paper in place.

sign so as to leave uncovered the etched line at the beginningvof thedesign. The sticky The roller is then lowered Von to the strip of paper(which is to provide a perfectly clean rest for the roller) and pressureapplied. Theroller is then caused to make one complete revolution,rolling over the surfaceA of the inked plate, its axis being maintainedparallel to the edge K and the edge of the plate which coincidestherewith, so that the ink is thereby transferred to the surface of theroller. In order to make the zinc plate contact more perfectly with theroller to be engraved, I preferably place between it and the table ayielding backing l). The supporting of the roller just as it leaves thezinc plate permits a uniform pressure to begiven 'to all parts of thezinc plate and thus produces a uniform impression upon the roller.

'Ihe rolling of the roller over the zinc plate covers the ywhole surfaceof the roller with the design and if the lay-out was an accuratedevelopment of the roller andvdue.

care taken in sticking up the transfers and placing the zinc sheet,there will be a perfect joint and no overlapping. The design shows onthe roller in clean copper filled in with grounds, where grounds areused, the field around the design being covered with acid resisting ink.The space I-I after etching is depressed and carries no ink, thus makingthe beginning of the design as printed on the roller clean and sharp. Itassists in transferring the design to the roller, but does not appear onthe roller since the design on the plate is of such dimensions as toentirely cover the circumference of the roller.

The roller when the ink has been transferred thereto is next etched. Indoing this il is th st powdered with fine asphalt powder applied'ywitlrsoft cotton and then dusted with a clean piece of cotton. Theasphalt adheresl to the inked parts but does not adhere to the cleancopper. The roller is then warmed from the inside unt-il the asphaltblends with the ink. Then cooled the roller is immersed in a bath ofacid being rotated to insure even etching. 4I prefer to use as anetching solution chlorid of iron two parts, water one part, but nitricacid may be used.

By the process above described, from a single sketch or element of thedesign. -a pattern which ,will completely cover a roller of any givendimensions, bo'th longitudinal and circumferential, 'and in such manneras to print a continuous pattern on fabric can be qulckly and cheaplymade. The use of a zine plate is particularly desirable since it forms apermanent structure which does not warp or get out of shape and can beused repeatedly. Thus, for instance, if during the transfer of ink fromthe zinc plate to 'served indefinitely thereon.

gotten upon the roller. Furthermore, when the zinc plate is used, thedesign can be pre- The rollers are costly on account of the amount ofcopper therein and a:design is seldom kept upon a roller for any greatlength of time. rlhe zinc of the plates, however, is not costly andafter the-engraved' zinc plate is once obtained, it can be used forprinting any roller of proper size, and, if necessary, a roller ofslightly larger size than the proper diameter can be worked down at anytime to just the proper size for the use of any zinc plate.

Manufacturers engaged in fabric printing and the like have a largevariety of rollers of different sizes and thus have on hand rollerswhich closely approximate any given size.

, The production of grounds by my method is simple and accurate andleaves the required marginal line. In producing such grounds by myprocess, comparatively little time is required. The production ofgrounds in the manner above described is not, however, a necessaryfeature of my process broadly considered which may be used when nogroundis necessary or where grounds are supplied by other methods. Thus,the foundation for the ground may be supplied in any known way upon theoriginal sketch or upon the photographic plates or upon thehotolithograph without inter! fering with tie other features of myprocess. I prefer to put them on the photoA lithograph in the mannerdescribed.

In the process above described when the zinc plate is used, the design,printed byv the engraved roller, is turned wend for end lrelatively t'owhat it was in he original drawing. -In a great 'many designs this is ofno importance. Vhen the design is produced by rolling the roller overthe transfers so as to eliminate the use of the zinc plate, the designas printed by the roller is not turned end for end relatively to theoriginal drawing.

' In case it is desired to use the zinc plate and the design is suchthat it must not be turned end for end as printed by the engravedroller, various eXpedients may be em ployed. Thus, what is known asturning the negative may be resorted to, that is, the film of either oneof the plates shown ,in Figs. 2 orv 3 may be transferred from'itsprocess -is then carried on es above described,

the design as printed by 'the engraved roller when the zinc plate isused will not be turned end for end. A second method less liable-to ldistort the design is top hotograph the orig-` inal deslgn' through arism which gives the required results. A third method consistsinobtaining the photographof Fig Sturned endA for end by placing thenegative of Fig. 2 in the front end of a camera and exposing a sensitiveplate to light'pass'ing through the negative from rear to front andthrough a lens located Wit-hin the camera between the two plates. Indoing this the negative of Eg. `2 isused as a transparency which isphotographed on to the second plate, producing a positive which, whenused in carrying out the remainder of the process above described, willresult in producing a roller which will print the original design notturned end for end. Still another-Way', consists in ap lying the etchedzinc plate prop-` erly inke to another zinc sheet, thereby transferringthe ink to said secondsheet; applying" asphalt powder' to this secondsheet, as above described; properly dusting and Warming the sheet, andetchin this second zinc sheet. When this secon zinc sheet is used toapply ink to the roller, the

' which the .first photographic .plate is made design as printed by theroller will not be turned end for end relatively to what it was in theoriginal drawinny It is also obvious that in the case ofa simple design,the original drawing from the design to be printed by the engraved.

roller or the roller is to be va type face roller instead of an intaglioroller the photo- -graphic negative of the original drawing 1s thenecessary photograph and the step represented by Fig. 3 is omitted.'

In inking upk the lithograph on the 'zinc plate, it is done in theordinary lithographie manner, in which the exposed surfaces areordinarily very slightly etched4 for purposes Well understood inlithography. I

In order to define the limits of the design so as to make it repeatproperly, I pla-ce limit marks T thereomwhich I term trimming marks.These are reproduced upon the photographs, pliotolithographs and ltransfers and serve to indicate the lines along which the transfers areto be trimmed.'

I also provide registration marks R, which,

When reproduced upon the transfers7 serve as registration marksandlassist in sticking up the transfers onthe lay-out so that they sesIf the remainder of the registration marks are, before etching, erasedor blotted out on the zinc sheet or other surfaceto 'be engraved, wherenecessary. When vthey will appear on the groundcdi or ungrounded intalio surfaces of rollers for fab- -iic printing, t ey need not be erased,Since they 'will be obliterated on the faliric'printed'i l .by reason ofthe flow ofcolor thereon.

" What I claim is:

1. Inv a engraving o process of photo-mechanically" l metal rollers, theimprovement' .L

which consists in producing a photographic negative of the design to beyengraved, producing therefrom a photogra h the opaque portions of whichcorrespon in form and dimensions to the parts of the metal surface ltobe removed fronnthe roller, producing au photo-lithograph therefrom,producing a transfer from said photolithograph, transferring the inkfrom such transfer to a thin metal sheet, etching said sheet so as toremove the surface of the portions uncovered by said ink, appl Ting inkto the raised portions of said etched metal sheet, printin said ink'upona metal rollerl and etching sai metal roller so asto remove the surfa ofthe portions uncovered by the ink printed thereon,

2. In a process of engraving desiofns on metal, the improvement whichconsists in producing a lithograph upon a plain sur- 'i face, producinga transfer from said lithograph, transferring ink from said transfer toa plain metallic surface, etching said metallic surface so as to removethe portionsA thereof uncovered by ink, building up with ink one of saidplain surfaces when the design has first appeared thereon, and applyingthereto a yielding body having closely adjacent inked projections'so as-to print upon the -uninked 4portions not closely adjacent to the builtup' portions.

3. In a process of engraving designs-.on metal, .the improvement whichconsists in producing a lithograph, building up the ink on saidlithograph, applying to said lithograph a tlexiblecpheet having closelyad- ]acent inked 'proJections thereon? so as to print upon the uninkedportions lnot closely adjacent to the built up portions, producing avtransfer from said lithograph, transferring the ink from said transferto a metal surface and etching said metal surface so as lithographtherefrom upon a plain surface,

producing a transfer from said photo-lithograph, transferring ink fromsaid transfer to a plain4 metallic surface, .etching said= .metallicsurface so as to remove the portions ing thereto a yielding body havingclosely adjacent inked projections so as to print upon the uninkedport-ions not closely adjacent to the built up portions.

Q y 5. In a process of photo-mechanically en- 7 grating of metal, theimprovement whichconsists in producing a photograph the opaque portionsof Which correspond in form and dimensions to the metal surfaceto beremoved, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, building up ink on saidphotolithograph and applying thereto a yielding body having closelyadjacent inked projec-e tions so as to print upon the uninked portionsnot closely-adj acent to the built up portions, producing a transferfrom said photolithcgraph, transferring the 'ink of said transfer to ametal surface and etching said metal surface so as to remove theportions thereof uncovered by ink,

G. In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of designs on metal, theimprovementjwhich consists in producing a photograph the opaque portionsof Which are of the forni and dimensions of the portion of the metallicsurface to be removed, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, buildingY(he ink up upon said photo-lithograph, applying lo said photo-lithographa fiexible sheet. having closely adjacent inked projections thereon soas to print upon the uninked portions not closely adjacent to the builtup portions, producing a transfer from saidt photo-lithograph,transferring the ink from said transfer to a metal surface and etchingsaid metal surface so as to remove the portions uncovered by ink.

7 In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of metal, theimprovementy which consists in producing a photograph the opaqueportions of which areV of the form and dimensions of the portion of themetallic surface to be removed, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom,building the ink up upon said photo-lithograph, applying to saidphoto-lithograph a flexible sheet having closely adjacent inkedprojections thereon so as to print upon the uninked portions not closelyadjacent to the built up portions, producing a transfer from said Iphoto-lithograph, transferring the ink from said transfer to a metalsurface and etching said metal surface so as to remove portionsuncovered by said ink, inking the metal surface thus etched,transferring the ink therefrom to a metal roller, and etching saidmetal' roller.

8. In a rocess of hote-mechanically engraving o metal sur aces, theimprovement which consists in producing a photograph, the opaqueportions of Which correspond in form and dimensions to the portions ofthe transferring 'sheet along t metal surface to be removed, producinga.v photo-llthograph therefrom, producing a plurality of transfers fromsaid photo-lithogaph, trimming and sticking up. said transrs so as toproduce a continuous design, transferring ,the ink of said transfers toa thin vmetallic sheet, etchingfsa'id thin metallic sheetl so as toremove the portions thereof uncovered by ink, removing a portion of saidplate adjacent to the `remote edge of the design thereon, laying'saidmetallic sheet upon a table, rollingametallic roller over said metallicsheet roperly inked from the beginning of .said cfesign to saidl remoteedge, the 'axis of said roller being maintained parallel to said ed e.

9. In a` rocess of beto-mechanic y engraving o metal surfaces, theimprovement which consists in .producrn a photograph, theopaque/portions of Whic correspond in form and dimensions to thevortions of the metal surface' to be remove producing a photo-lithographtherefrom, producing a plurality of transfers from said photo-litho--graph, trimming and sticking up said transfers'so as to reduce acontinuous design, I t e ink ofv said transfers to-"a thin metalllcsheet, etching said thin metallic sheet s0 as to remove the portionsthereof uncovered b ink, trimming said 'metallic fie remote edge of 'thecomposite design so as to leave a straight edge, laying said metallicsheet upon a table so' that its trimmed edge corresponds With the edgeof the table, rolling a metallic roller over said metallic sheetproperly inked from' the beginning of said design to said trimmed edge,the axis of said roller being maintained parallel to said edge.

10. In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of metal surfaces, theimprovement which consists in producing a photograph, the opaqueportions of which correspond in form and dimensions to the portions ofthe metal surface to be removed, producing a photolithograph therefrom,producing a plurality of transfers from said photo-lithograph, trimmingand sticking up said transers so as to produce a continuous design,transferring the ink ofsaid transfers to a thin metallic sheet, etchingsaid thin metallic sheet so as to remove the portions thereof uncoveredby ink, trimming said metallic sheet along the remote edge of thecomposite design so as to leave a straight edge, laying said metallicsheet upon a table so that its trimmed edge corresponds with the edge ofthe-table, rolling a metallic roller over said metallic sheet properlyinked from the be: ginning of said design to said trimmed edge, the axisof said roller being maintained parallel to said edge, and supportingsaid roller independently of said plate at the instant it passes theedge of said plate.

11. In a process of photo-mechanically tions of the surface o engraving'of designs on metallic rollers, the improvement which consists inproducing an inked metallic plate of greater length than the .peripheryof -the roller, the portions thereof uncovered by ink corresponding to'the portions of the surface of the roller to be'removed, a plyin Ianacid resist to the margin of sai metalic plate, except for a space alongthe beginning of the design, so

as to provide after etching a depressed area at that point, etching saidplate. thus prepared, inking the raised portions of said platea rollingametallic roller over said late 1n contact with the portions originallyinked and etching said ro ler.

12. In ,a process of photofmechanically engraving of designs on metallicrollers, the improvement which consists in producing an inked metallicplate, the portions thereof covered' by ink corres onding to theporremoved, applyin an acid resist to the margin of said metal ic plateexcept for a narrtv space along the be inningof the design, and etchinsaid p ate thus prepared, cleaning and in ing said plate andl applying.a thin protecting strip to the ink on said. plate 'adjacent -to thespace which was uncovered by said acid reslst, applying a roller -to theoriginally inked-.parts of said plate l and etching said roller.

l engraving o 13. In a designs on metallic rollers, the improvementwhich consists in producing an inked zinc plate, the portions thereofuncovered by ink corres )onding tov the portions of the surface o moved,applying an acid resist to the edges of said zinc plateexcept for anarrowspace along the edge of the beginning of the design, and etchingsaid plate thus prepared,

the, roller not to be'v process of photo mechanicallyl the roller to be.re-l

cleaning and inking said plate and applying a thin protecting strip tothe ink on said vmaking one complete revolution in a printing machine,dividing said distance 'into an integral nnmber of parts correspondingto the number of repeats desired, producing a photograph of the designto be engraved,

the opaque portions of whichare of the form and dimensions of.theportion of the metallic surface to be removed from the roller, saidphotograph being of a lenl l1 exactly equal to one division of saidistance covered' by said roller, vproducing a photo-lithograph,producing a plurality of `transfers from said photo-htliograph, trim-4ming and sticking up said transfers arranged s as to form a continuousdesign upon a lay-out of the roller,'applying said transfers to a thinmetallic sheet, etching said t-hin metallic shee't, applying ink to theraised portions of said metallic sheet, trans-` ferring said ink underpressure in said printing machine to the metallic roller to be engravedso that the edges of the design impressed upon theroller abut, thecircumkference of the roller being covered by the design, and thenetching said metallic roller.

HENRY L. RECKARD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. LORENZ, Wat. H. Homss.

